National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Jay J. Van Bavel; Aleksandra Cichocka; Valerio Capraro; Hallgeir Sjåstad; John B. Nezlek; Tomislav Pavlović; Mark Alfano; Michele J. Gelfand; Flavio Azevedo; Michèle D. Birtel; Aleksandra Cislak; Patricia L. Lockwood; Robert Malcolm Ross; Koen Abts; Elena Agadullina; John Jamir Benzon Aruta; Sahba Nomvula Besharati; Alexander Bor; Becky L. Choma; Charles David Crabtree; William A. Cunningham; Koustav De; Waqas Ejaz; Christian T. Elbaek; Andrej Findor; Daniel Flichtentrei; Renata Franc; Biljana Gjoneska; June Gruber; Estrella Gualda; Yusaku Horiuchi; Toan Luu Duc Huynh; Augustin Ibanez; Mostak Ahamed Imran; Jacob Israelashvili; Katarzyna Jasko; Jaroslaw Kantorowicz; Elena Kantorowicz-Reznichenko; André Krouwel; Michael Laakasuo; Claus Lamm; Caroline Leygue; Ming Jen Lin; Mohammad Sabbir Mansoor; Antoine Marie; Lewend Mayiwar; Honorata Mazepus; Cillian McHugh; Sergio Barbosa; César Payán-Gómez

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Jay J. Van Bavel, Aleksandra Cichocka, Valerio Capraro, Hallgeir Sjåstad, John B. Nezlek, Tomislav Pavlović, Mark Alfano, Michele J. Gelfand, Flavio Azevedo, Michèle D. Birtel, Aleksandra Cislak, Patricia L. Lockwood, Robert Malcolm Ross, Koen Abts, Elena Agadullina, John Jamir Benzon Aruta, Sahba Nomvula Besharati, Alexander Bor, Becky L. Choma, Charles David CrabtreeWilliam A. Cunningham, Koustav De, Waqas Ejaz, Christian T. Elbaek, Andrej Findor, Daniel Flichtentrei, Renata Franc, Biljana Gjoneska, June Gruber, Estrella Gualda, Yusaku Horiuchi, Toan Luu Duc Huynh, Augustin Ibanez, Mostak Ahamed Imran, Jacob Israelashvili, Katarzyna Jasko, Jaroslaw Kantorowicz, Elena Kantorowicz-Reznichenko, André Krouwel, Michael Laakasuo, Claus Lamm, Caroline Leygue, Ming Jen Lin, Mohammad Sabbir Mansoor, Antoine Marie, Lewend Mayiwar, Honorata Mazepus, Cillian McHugh, Sergio Barbosa, César Payán-Gómez

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Abstract

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	517
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9
State	Published - Jan 26 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9

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Van Bavel, J. J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V., Sjåstad, H., Nezlek, J. B., Pavlović, T., Alfano, M., Gelfand, M. J., Azevedo, F., Birtel, M. D., Cislak, A., Lockwood, P. L., Ross, R. M., Abts, K., Agadullina, E., Aruta, J. J. B., Besharati, S. N., Bor, A., Choma, B. L., ... Payán-Gómez, C. (2022). National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 517. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9

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abstract = "Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9",

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Van Bavel, JJ, Cichocka, A, Capraro, V, Sjåstad, H, Nezlek, JB, Pavlović, T, Alfano, M, Gelfand, MJ, Azevedo, F, Birtel, MD, Cislak, A, Lockwood, PL, Ross, RM, Abts, K, Agadullina, E, Aruta, JJB, Besharati, SN, Bor, A, Choma, BL, Crabtree, CD, Cunningham, WA, De, K, Ejaz, W, Elbaek, CT, Findor, A, Flichtentrei, D, Franc, R, Gjoneska, B, Gruber, J, Gualda, E, Horiuchi, Y, Huynh, TLD, Ibanez, A, Imran, MA, Israelashvili, J, Jasko, K, Kantorowicz, J, Kantorowicz-Reznichenko, E, Krouwel, A, Laakasuo, M, Lamm, C, Leygue, C, Lin, MJ, Mansoor, MS, Marie, A, Mayiwar, L, Mazepus, H, McHugh, C, Barbosa, S & Payán-Gómez, C 2022, 'National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic', Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 1, 517. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9

TY - JOUR

T1 - National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

AU - Van Bavel, Jay J.

AU - Cichocka, Aleksandra

AU - Capraro, Valerio

AU - Sjåstad, Hallgeir

AU - Nezlek, John B.

AU - Pavlović, Tomislav

AU - Alfano, Mark

AU - Gelfand, Michele J.

AU - Azevedo, Flavio

AU - Birtel, Michèle D.

AU - Cislak, Aleksandra

AU - Lockwood, Patricia L.

AU - Ross, Robert Malcolm

AU - Abts, Koen

AU - Agadullina, Elena

AU - Aruta, John Jamir Benzon

AU - Besharati, Sahba Nomvula

AU - Bor, Alexander

AU - Choma, Becky L.

AU - Crabtree, Charles David

AU - Cunningham, William A.

AU - De, Koustav

AU - Ejaz, Waqas

AU - Elbaek, Christian T.

AU - Findor, Andrej

AU - Flichtentrei, Daniel

AU - Franc, Renata

AU - Gjoneska, Biljana

AU - Gruber, June

AU - Gualda, Estrella

AU - Horiuchi, Yusaku

AU - Huynh, Toan Luu Duc

AU - Ibanez, Augustin

AU - Imran, Mostak Ahamed

AU - Israelashvili, Jacob

AU - Jasko, Katarzyna

AU - Kantorowicz, Jaroslaw

AU - Kantorowicz-Reznichenko, Elena

AU - Krouwel, André

AU - Laakasuo, Michael

AU - Lamm, Claus

AU - Leygue, Caroline

AU - Lin, Ming Jen

AU - Mansoor, Mohammad Sabbir

AU - Marie, Antoine

AU - Mayiwar, Lewend

AU - Mazepus, Honorata

AU - McHugh, Cillian

AU - Barbosa, Sergio

AU - Payán-Gómez, César

PY - 2022/1/26

Y1 - 2022/1/26

N2 - Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.

AB - Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.

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National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Abstract

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UN SDGs

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